The present invention relates to an automatic continuous vacuum packaging method for relatively large solid materials, specifically food products such as rindless cheese, raw meat or the like.
In order to package such objects under vacuum conditions, there has been provided a prior art method wherein an object to be packaged is set on a holder and then wrapped by hand and thereafter deaerated and sealed with a vacuum chamber, vacuum packer or the like. A large amount of manual labor was required for packaging and it was necessary that the workers' hands were in direct contact with the food products. Therefore, there has been a strong demand for automation of this process. The present inventors earlier proposed a vacuum packaging method as disclosed in Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application No. 54/88486. The process disclosed in that application has been recognized as having some disadvantages as to the results produced and the required equipment such as the fact that the food products to be packaged must be moved a relatively long distance and must be transferred from one conveyor to another after the products have been initially wrapped. In view of these defects, an object of the present invention is to eliminate such deficiencies.